It appears that Subud (along with numerous other groups with similar reservations) is forced because of conditions in some countries to register as a religion as there are no alternative categories offered for registration.
Subud is sometimes said to not be a religion on the grounds it does not propound a specific teaching, nor does it insist that members adhere to any given set of beliefs.
In a paper published in the academic journal 'Group Dynamics: Theory, Research and Practice', Stephen C. Urlich of Lincoln University concludes: "In this article, I have shown that despite Subud's claims to the contrary, it does have a complex theology.
A practical reason for this explanation arises from the fact that some religions, such as Christianity, Baháʼí Faith[2] and Islam, do see participation in Subud as contravening their stance forbidding multiple identification.
Since yoga and meditation are major elements of Hinduism and Buddhism, some Subud members complain that this conflicts with the encouragement to practice the religion of their choice.